Revolving fan



Sept. 3, 19 0. H. E. VAN DERSCHAEGH REVOLVING FAN Filed March .25, 11938 -2 A Shobcs-Sheot- 1 W w wfm V m i UM t. 3, 9 H. E. VAN DERSCHAEGH 2,213,873

REVOLVING FAN Filed March 25, 1938 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 fi INVENT ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED i OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ventilating devices, and has as one of its principal Objects the provision of a revolving fan and a simple means for adjusting the rate at which the a fan will revolve.

- Another object is the provision of a fan and means for mounting the same of such character that the fan may be made to revolve with respect to its mounting at adjustable speeds, there being no mechanical drive means for effecting the rotary movement, such movement being the result of the particular construction and arrangement of the mounting means and the motive power supplied by operation of the fan itself.

Another object is the provision of a revolving fan of the type characterized and which is further adapted for use as an advertising device.

Still another object is the provision of improved-mounting means for fan structures, the mounting means being in the form of a hanger bracket adapted for support from a ceiling or a standardand having means for attachment to a fan and so constructed that the fan may be positioned eccentrically relative to the mounting means so as to effect rotation of the fan at predetermined speeds relative to the mounting.

Still another object is the provision in rotary fan structures of mounting means including electrical connection means having movable and stationary contacts and adapted for mounting either in a standard or in a wall bracket. Viewed from another aspect, it is an object of the invention to provide a revolving fan including. a motor, a propeller driven by the motor, a mounting arm adapted for attachment to a bracket or a supporting base, and means attached to the motor for mounting the same adjustably in eccentric positions relative to the mounting arm, the mounting arm and motor be ing revoluble relative to the main support.

. Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction, form, location or operation ofthe mechanisms hereinafter described in View of the drawings, in 45 which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the fan and ceiling mounting bracket therefor;

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the ceiling-bracket or mounting, as viewed along lines 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing parts in plan of the ceiling bracket, looking up along lines 33 of Fig. 2;

I Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the fan'structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan detail of the adjustable connection between the fan and bracket arm, as viewed in the direction of lines 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention showing a portable mounting; while Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the adjustable attaching yoke for the portable type of device in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a fan arranged to simulate an airplane and having a motor I!) disposed in the nose portion of a fuselage II provided with wings l2 and an adjustable airfoil or rudder H3 in the tail of 'the'fuselage. The motor Ill is equipped with a fan or propeller M, thus completing the simulated plane. Novel means for securing the fan to a wall portion such as the ceiling includes a hanger or bracket arm l5 depending from a wall bracket generally indicated at ll and arranged to rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to the bracket.

At its lower end, the hanger arm I8 is provided with a gooseneck or laterally offset portion !8 including a horizontal arm l9 extending laterally on both sides of the center or axis of the hanger arm It.

Attached to the fan above the wings I2 is an adjustable mounting cleat 2E9 having a bore 2! (Fig. 5) split asat 22, with the split portions joined by a threaded member or bolt 23 adapted to draw the complementary members of'the cleat together to clamp a mounting member such as the horizontal extension IQ of the gooseneck firmly therein.

Referring conveniently between Figs. 1, 4 and 5, it will be apparent that by loosening and tightening the bolt 23, the fan may be shifted horizontally or laterally relative to a center through the long axis of the hanger arm it. Stated in other terms, the adjustable clamping means iii-20' makes it possible to shift the mounting of the fan on opposite sides of a center line through thelong axis of the arm IS. The' importance of this feature will become clear as the operation of the novel fan is described here? after.

Means for rotatably mounting the hanger arm A casing member or mounting cup having a bore 3! in one axial end and which is adapted to fit over the shaft l5, has its open upper end portion fitted over the flange 2? and is secured to the latter by means such as the set screw in the bottom of the mounting cupis a recess 35% in which is seated one race 35% of a thrust bearing,

the companion race 35 of which embraces the hanger shaft l5 beneath a collar thereon which transmits the hanging loadfrom the arm l6 into the bearing unit 3335.

' Commutating or moving, contact means for the motor circuit connections includes an insulating sleeve til fitted over the portions of the arm or shaft it between the bearings and having secured thereon a pair of spaced contac ll and 42, each of which is connected. by conductors 43 and 54 extending down through'the hollow portions of the arm it and out the open end portion of the gooseneck extension l9 where they issue as a twisted pair d5 (Figs. land 5) and enter the fuselage for connection motor l5. 1

V Mounted in insulated sleeve studs 46 and 41 in the cylindrical wall portion of the cup 311 arespring-urged brush contacts 48 and d9, re-r spectively, bearing against the commutator or contact rings M and 4 2. The brushes 48 and Marc connected by conductors 55 with a source of electric power. 1 The mounting means is preferably enclosed in a shell or cover bell 5| having a bore in its lower end. fitting loosely over the hanger arm l6 and secured by screw means 52 to a flange portion 53 on the mounting base 26.

Thus, it will be apparent that'the mounting arm I6 is. free to rotate about its long axis as a center in bearing means 2829, 3435; the fan,

which in the present instance simulates an airl5 or I94 is regarded as a center, and the orbit or path of the device may be eccentric to, this center or the device may move about this center. The rotational movement of the fan structure is therefore referred to as orbital movement, and

the center of this path, whether concentric with or eccentric to the axis of the support. as a. center, is referred to as the orbital center.

By sliding the bracket 20 to one or the other position toward opposite ends of the gooseneck arm l9, the eccentricity of the fan structure with relation to the fixed or orbital center of the for the purpose of varying of mounting means or hanger arm it may be varied of i the fan structure relative tothis center, the

greater the eccentricity the faster the speed at which the fan revolves.

.The speed at which the fan revolves about its orbital center may be controlled not only by adjustment of the eccentric mounting means, but

also by turning the airfoil or air-deflecting means providing the, rudder l3 in various positions on opposite sides of its normal'center line,

the degree of control afforded by the rudder being considerable, 7 so that as between. adjustment of. the rudder and the eccentric mounting, the

speed of orbital movement of'the fanabout the vertical axis of the mounting meansvwhichconwith the An additional feature of the invention resides in a novel advertising attachment which includes a moving sign element cooperable with the revolving fan means.

Referring to Fig. 4, one form of the advertising attachment includes acollar dimensioned to slide freely on the hanger arm [6 and provided with a set screw 6! by means of which the collar may be clamped into any desired position. Extended from the collar is a horizontal arm 62 having a ball member 63- threaded on its end and there being a vertical shaft 64 threaded into theball at right angles to the arm 62 and constituting a pivot or spindle upon which a sign bearing structure is rotatably seated for movement about an axis substantially parallel with or collateral to the vertical axis of the upright support or hanger arm l6, which constitutes an 'orbitalcenter for the fan.

The sign structure may include a pair of metal plates 65 arranged back to back and having opposite horizontaledge portions turned up to provide card-engaging grooves 66-along top and bottom horizontal edges of; the frame members, the latter being secured together by any suitable means, such as soldering or the like. Fitted into a vertical slot in the center of thecombination frame members is a metal sleeve 61 having -a pair of fiber collars 68 arranged in its opposite ends and embracing the spindle 64-so that the frame structure is freely rotatable about the spindle, the latter being shouldered as at 69 to space the frame from the ball 63, and sign cards it' may be worked into the grooves 66'.

A modified form of construction particularly mounted between the upright arms 33 of a special trunnion or yoke bracket including a tubular stud 84 secured by nuts 85 to the lower ends of the arms 83, the upper ends of these armsv being attached by wing nuts 86 threaded into. the frame of the motor.

An optional feature is the provision of .a-tail structure formed, by a pair of spaced rod or wire arms 8? bent back near their respective mid portions to provide eyes or bights 88 and having their respective free end portions secured by means such as the nuts 89 to the motor frame. Pivotally mounted on a tight-fitting pin '90. extended through the eyes 88 in the tail wiresds a rudder or adjustable airfoil 9|, which is manually turned into a desired position of adjustment inwhich it will remain set by virture of the tight fit of the mounting means 8890. An advertising attachment including an arm 92 attached at an offset end portion .93 to the motor frame, is provided with a vertical spindle 94 similar to the spindle 640i Fig 4, and which extends substantially parallel to the vertical axis through the mounting means I04, and uponwhich is seated a sign carrier 95 identical in construction with that described in conjunction with Fig. .4. The spindle 94 is attached by means of a wing nut 96 to the mountingarm 92 so that it may be selectively positioned in a vertical plane to vary the movement ,andap pearance of the sign means 95.

Zvlicans mounting the fan -motor upon a portable standard includes a base'memb'er I00 having a vertically extending bore,'near the'up-. per end of which is a shoulder formation IN upon which is seated the stationary race I02. of a bearing member, the movable race I03 of which embraces an upright mounting arm I04 similar to the arm I6 heretofore described.

A cast sleeve cap I05 having an endwise bore I06 is fitted over the shaft I04, the latter having a thrust collar I0! disposed within the cap and adapted to bear against a bearing member I00 which in turn rests upon a collar I09 threaded into the cap I05. Thus, the vertical component, of the load from the fan structure is distributed to the bearing member I08, while the sidewise or radial thrusts are distributed to the bearing I02I03. The sleeve cap I05 is provided with a set screw IIO for clamping the same to the upright sleeve portion of the base I00.

Moving contact means for the arrangement of Fig. 6 includes a cylindrical plug I I2 of insulating material having a stud portion II3 threaded into the bore of the mounting arm I04 at the lower end thereof inside the tubular portion of the base I00. Secured in spaced relation about the cylindrical plug II 2 are a pair of contact rings H4 and I I 5, each connected to one of the conductors of a twisted pair IIIS entering a slot near the upper end of the arm I04 and led through suitable openings in the insulating plug II2 for connection with the contact rings. Mounted in suitably insulated sleeves I I1 and I I8 in the upright tubular portion of the base I00 are spring-urged brushes, each bearing against one of the contact rings i I4I I5 and each connected with one of the conductors of a twisted pair I I9 led exteriorily of the base I00 for connection with the power outlet. An adjustable eccentric mounting for the fan structure of Fig. 6 is shown particularly in Fig. 7, and includes a split mounting sleeve I 20 having a threaded cap portion or bore which screws onto the threaded upper end portion I2I of the arm I04, the complementary flange portions I22-I23 of the sleeve being adjustably drawn together by a bolt I24 in much the same manner set forth in conjunction with the mounting of Fig. 5. The stud or horizontal component 84 of the mounting yoke is slidably received in the split sleeve and is dimensioned so that the same, and hence the motor 80, may be shifted laterally of the arm I04 into positions on opposite sides of a center line coincident with the longitudinal axis of the support I04, the bolt I24 being drawn up to clamp the yoke or trunnion of the motor into a selected position.

The operation of the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is substantially the same as that described in conjunction with the device of Fig. l, with the exception, of course, that the support in the former embodiment is portable, and there are structural diirerences in the supporting means.

Both embodiments may be adjusted to various positions eccentric of their mountings, and such adjustment will determine the rate at which the fan members, including the propellers, motors, and equipment incident thereto, will revolve. In both embodiments, the propellers I3 and Bi may be set to provide further control for the rate at which the fan devices revolve about their orbits. In both devices, the sign-carrying members and 95 are free to rotate about vertical axes eccentric to the orbital axes of their respective fan devices, and the behavior of these movable sign carriers is such that as their respective fan devices rotate about their respective orbits, the several signs slowly rotate about their own axes as a result of the movement of air by the propellers and also as a result of the orbital movement of their respective supporting means.

Various changes in details of construction, operation and location of the parts specifically described for illustrative purposes herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to such specific details except as may be provided hereinafter in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A revolving fan including a mounting base, an elongated supporting arm mounted on said base for rotation about the long axis of the arm, an electric fan including a revoluble fan element and means adjustably mounting said fan upon said arm and including a yoke-like supporting bracket engaging said fan at points on opposite lateral sides of the axis of revolution of the fan, said bracket having a portion adjustably engaged by means on said arm for movement in the lateral direction of the long axis of the arm, so that the axis of said fan element may be positioned to extend transversely through or eccentric of the axis of said arm, together with movable and stationary contact means arranged in said base for connecting said fan with a source of power.

2. A revolving fan including a mounting base, an elongated supporting arm mounted on said base for rotation about the long axis of the arm, said arm having an ofiset portion extending laterally on opposite sides of said axis, an electric fan including a revoluble fan element and means mounting said fan adjustably on said oiTset portion of the arm so as to dispose the axis of rotation of said fan element laterally of the long axis of said arm and in various selected positions through or on opposite sides eccentrically of a center coincident with said long axis of the arm whereby to effect movement of said fan in an orbit about said center at a rate dependent upon the degree of eccentricity of said fan relative to said center, and means arranged in said base for connecting said fan with a source of power.

3. A revolving fan including a mounting base adapted to rest upon a support, a supporting arm mounted on said base for rotation in an upright position about the long axis of the arm, an electric fan including a revoluble fan element, mounting means at the upper end of said arm'and including a bracket member supporting said fan and means mounting the bracket for movement in directions laterally of the long axis of said arm so that the axis of rotation of said fan element in preselected positions on opposite sides of said long axis of the arm to vary the rate of travel of the fan, together with commutating contact means arranged in said base for connecting a source of power with said fan.

4. In a device of the class described including electric fan means, means for mounting said fan for rotative movement by air displacement, said means comprising a mounting base, an arm arranged for rotation about its own long axis on said base, said arm having a goose-neck formed at its free end opposite the base, and including a lateral portion extending on opposite sides of said long axis, said fan means including attaching means shiftably engaging said lateral portion of the goose-neck for movement of the fanmeans into and out of positions eccentric or concentric of said long axis, and means for securing said attaching means in positions of adjustment, and

means for connecting said fan means with a source of electric power.

5. In a rotatingnfan in combination an electric motor, a fan driven by said motor, and means-for mounting said motor and fan for displacement about an orbital center, said means comprising a basestructure, a supporting. armmounted on said basestructure for movement about its own long,

axis, a mounting yoke adjustably mounted at the free end of said arm for movement in directions laterally of the long axis thereof into and out of eccentric or concentric relationship with said axis, means-for securing said mounting "yoke in positions of adjustment, means attaching. said in parallelism with an axis through said orbital center and at a side'of saidlast mentioned axis which is opposite the fan element of said fan means;

, HENRY VAN DERSCHAE'GH. 

